Icelab

As part of our desire to be the very best company we can be, Icelab runs an annual retreat for staff to bond, play, learn, – and in some cases meet in person for the first time. Being location-agnostic is cool and all, but we’re human beings too.

Last time it was CoastLab by the beach, but this time we went a little bit country in the picturesque surrounds of the Mornington Peninsula.

A detailed schedule was prepared in Trello with topics upvoted and sessions assigned ahead of our arrival, to ensure we could make the most of our short time together.

Our goals for the retreat each year are to:

• Reflect on what we’ve achieved in the last year by reviewing launched projects. It’s both a debrief for the project team and a means of sharing with those who weren’t involved.

• Talk about how Icelab works, and how we can make it better — everything from workflows and accounting to marketing and hiring.

• Explore opportunities for new things we do as a team: software or programming choice, business opportunities, or blue sky ideas (“DogSelector.app”).

• Learn from each other and experiment on things together. There was virtual reality, CSS, knitting, JavaScript, and a neat cleaning trick with baking soda.

• Cook for each other, eat together, and have some fun.

We had lots of happy faces and inspired discussions during and after last year’s retreat. We’re already looking forward to the next one.